The enrolled student population at Ohio State University-Main Campus is 59.9% White, 9.31% Asian, 7.67% Black or African American, 5.72% Hispanic or Latino, 4.35% Two or More Races, 0.0616% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.78% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,859 students (3.1%) did not report their race.